Blasted plot bunnies...
Mar. 21st, 2004 10:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calic0catGot attacked by a plot bunny Friday evening and that kind of messed up my writing schedule for the weekend. Since I therefore don't have anything quite ready to post (maybe tomorrow?? LWH #90 is almost ready...), here's a peek at the rough draft of the aforementioned rabid plot bunny...
Oh, and fair warning - it's a fusion with a series of sci-fi books by one of my favourite authors...
"XH One-Two-Two-One, your *next* brawn candidate is on her way."
Heero flinched mentally at the emphasis - he was all too aware that he'd already unsuccessfully interviewed a dozen candidates - but replied succinctly, "Acknowledged."
CenCom's irritation was clear in the tone of the communication. "Try not to scare this one off; word's getting around and we're running out of candidates willing to even interview with you." Central closed the link without allowing Heero a chance to respond. He didn't bother re-opening it; there was nothing relevant to add.
Brawns newly graduated from the Academy had certain expectations of brainships. Expectations based on the consistent program of education and conditioning that all shellpersons, including those destined to become brainships, were exposed to throughout childhood. Most shellpersons grew up in the Central Lab School's supportive environment, shelled from infancy due to physical conditions that would otherwise prevent them from leading any sort of existence outside of an institution. A few exceptional individuals were admitted to the program later in life after being physically incapacitated by some catastrophic event but even those cases were children or preteens who then finished growing up in the supportive environment of the shell program.
Heero had not grown up in the program. In fact, he had only spent a couple of years in the Lab School - and even that brief period had been non-standard due to the fact that his shell was already housed in a ship. His late entry and unusual circumstances had left him isolated even within the School. He had formed only tentative connections with a very few of his classmates.
Scholastically, Heero had excelled, graduating at the top of his class with special awards in more fields of study than any shellperson in the history of the program. Technologically, his ship - *he* - was years ahead of every other brainship in the Courier Service. He was faster, more manoeuvrable, more powerful.
But apparently, none of that made up for the fact that he had absolutely no socialization skills worth speaking of. Difficult as Heero found it to interact with other shellpersons, interacting with softpersons was even more difficult. J hadn't given him the opportunity *to* interact with anyone other than the scientist himself and a handful of lab assistants. He had only very vague, dreamlike memories of anyone else; frail ghosts of his life before becoming 'Subject 01'. His memories *after* that - both before and after being placed in the shell - were all-too-sharp and clear. Perfect recall was not necessarily the blessing some might consider it.
Heero automatically adjusted his nutrient feeds to correct the shift in body-chemistry caused by his current train of thought. Despite repeated admonitions from assorted Psychs over the past few years since his removal from J's custody, he continued to control his emotions - and his body's response to them - as tightly as J had trained him. The conditioning methods had been too effective to dismiss that easily; sensory deprivation was one of the worst fears of shellpersons.
'But since brainships are supposed to keep their emotions under reasonably good control and I could always leave social interactions up to my brawn, over-controlled emotions and nonexistent social skills weren't good enough reasons for the Psychs to ground me...' But if he couldn't find a brawn soon, that might change. Heero knew that there were researchers who would be quite happy to have him - or rather, his radically experimental shell and ship technology - turned over to them instead of flying free in space. If it weren't for the determined advocacy of SPRIM (Society for the Preservation of the Rights of Intelligent Minorities) and Double M (Mutant Minorities), he doubted that he would have stood the slightest chance of avoiding that fate in the first place. Continued inability to choose a compatible partner had a distressingly high chance of negatively impacting his current status.
With that thought in mind, Heero lowered his lift for the approaching candidate, determined to give Relena Peacecraft-Darlian a more-than-fair evaluation.
***
The sounds of laboured breathing and the clash of finely-forged steel blades filled the air. Duo grunted with effort as his sword met Wufei's yet again. Dark eyes sparkled with the thrill of a challenge and Duo grinned fiercely in return before agilely twisting away.
He and Wufei hadn't exactly started off as friends at the Space Academy. Orphan spacer-brats on scholarships and heirs to High Families didn't really have a whole lot in common. But Duo's hard work and dedication to his studies had earned Wufei's grudging respect. Wufei's sense of honour - the need to give credit where credit was due - had done the rest. A quiet congratulations on a test score led to a shared study session. Study sessions led to discussions of philosophy and politics and life in general. And discussions led to friendship. A friendship which had expanded to include Meilan, Wufei's wife.
The cabin lights dimmed and brightened. The duellists froze in place. In a faintly apologetic tone, Meilan announced, "Incoming secure call from Master O; I just received the five-minute warning."
Wufei sighed and lowered his sword. "That will be our orders." He brushed a loose bit of hair back from his face. "Sorry, Duo. I probably won't have anymore free time tonight and we'll be busy loading in the morning. Good match, though."
"Thanks. You too, Wufei." Duo handed his sword to Wufei and watched as Wufei carefully stowed them both in their case. "I know we'll stay in touch but I'm gonna miss the face-to-face contact."
"As will I." Wufei turned and clasped Duo's arm firmly for a moment, eyes meeting Duo's steadily. "Take care, my friend."
Duo decided that things were getting much too sombre. He hated goodbyes. Giving Wufei's arm a tug, he pulled him into an enthusiastic hug and tousled his hair, pulling it the rest of the way out of the ponytail.
"Maxwell!" Wufei automatically protested the hair-ruffling. He attempted to blow the long black strands away from his face while struggling to escape Duo's energetic hug.
Meilan's laughter rang out from the cabin speakers and Duo grinned in satisfaction. Ruffling Wufei's dignity had certain inevitable results. "Enough with the long faces. You'd better go get tidied up before talking to the bossman, buddy. Good luck with your assignment." He spun Wufei around and gave him a gentle but firm shove towards his quarters. "Talk to you soon."
Muttering dire threats under his breath regarding suitable retribution for such disrespectful behaviour, Wufei spared a moment to give Duo's long chestnut braid a tug of rebuke before stalking off in a show of righteous indignation. Duo grabbed his braid before more than the first couple of twists had a chance to unravel and held it tightly in one hand while digging through his pocket for a tie to replace the one Wufei had stolen. He always carried a few spares, especially when he was meeting with Wufei. This wasn't exactly the first time they'd messed up one another's hair.
"You had *better* stay in touch, Duo Maxwell!" Meilan scolded as Duo fixed his braid. "Don't make us have to come looking for you."
Duo swept a gracious bow in the direction of the central column housing Meilan's physical body. "I wouldn't dream of inconveniencing such a lovely lady. I'll give you my relay number just as soon as I get a ship assignment," he promised. '*If* I get one...' he added silently. There were more brawns than ships; not all graduates were fortunate enough to partner a brainship. He'd been passed over by several already. That wasn't unusual by any means and he really hadn't particularly clicked with any of them but still... It was discouraging to be turned down.
If he didn't get a ship, he might as well go back to the Sweepers. The loosely-knit group of merchants and scavengers would find a spot for him somewhere in the organization. He wouldn't have a ship of his own but at least he'd be in space. 'Better that than a job as a glorified file-clerk for Courier Services. The chances of getting a position as a brawn after being passed over aren't good enough to make staying planet-bound worthwhile...'
"Anything particularly promising?"
Duo grimaced and admitted, "Not really. I've still got a few interviews to go, though."
"Have you interviewed for the XH One-Two-Two-One yet?" Meilan asked abruptly.
"No," Duo shook his head. "And I'm not scheduled to. Psych didn't recommend it. Plus I figured they must have somebody handpicked for the XH - they're not likely to put all that experimental tech in the hands of just anyone, after all - and that the interviews were just a formality. Why else would almost all of the candidates have opted out after meeting him?"
Flatly, Meilan replied, "Because his social skills need serious work."
Duo snickered, then sobered instantly as Meilan rebuked, "That's not a joke, Maxwell. You know his story, or at least as much of it as everyone else does. He's a hard worker, incredibly intelligent, and about as personable as an AI. He comes across as almost inhuman most of the time. But when I was having such a rough time adjusting to being in a shell, he was willing to listen. He even told me a few things about his own problems adjusting, first to the shell then to life after being rescued from existence as that mad scientist's experiment. We weren't exactly *close* but we had more in common with each other than with any of the others in our class so we did spend a certain amount of time talking.
"He's a good person, Duo, not the cold machine that gossip claims. He just needs a brawn with a lot of patience and understanding to help him figure things out. Somebody who won't let a cold facade and an icy attitude scare him off. Somebody who won't judge him on a superficial impression."
The soft chime announcing the expected call prevented further discussion. Duo said a hasty goodbye and departed. Meilan's remarks were all that he thought about during his walk back across the shipyard. The "hint" had been very blatant. She obviously thought that he was the right brawn for the task. Psych evidently hadn't or Heero would have been one of the interviews automatically scheduled for him. Though considering that he'd been - less than impressed - by the possibilities that the shrinks *had* lined up for him...
Duo made a quick stop at the nearest terminal then headed back across the landing pad.
***
Heero reviewed the few remaining candidates' files grimly. He didn't care *how* compatible Psych thought that Peacecraft-Darlian girl was with him; there *had* to be a better option. 'Her voice *alone* would drive me insane. And as for her idea that I transfer from Archeology & Exploration to the Diplomatic division... I don't *think* so...'
Then of course there was also the girl's fixation on his cybernetic body. He'd flatly refused to use it to conduct the interview despite her coaxing and cajoling. She had apparently seen holos of the graduation ceremony and had gushed over his appearance, repeatedly begging to see "the real Heero".
As far as Heero was concerned, that body was *not* "the real him". After the graduation ceremony, he had stored it away in a cabin and he had no intention of getting it back out again. Despite the fact that most shellpersons had to save for years to afford a cybernetic body and would be thrilled to have one. His own was just another reminder of how different he was from the other newly-commissioned brainships. They were in debt to Central for their schooling, their shells, and their ships. He had already been part of his ship when he arrived for his schooling; J - or rather the corporation that had employed J - had originally paid for it and it had been awarded to Heero as part of the settlement. So instead, he was in debt for the body from Moto-Prosthetics that had allowed him to physically attend classes at the Lab School. It had been intended to allow him to interact with his classmates. Instead, it had only drawn attention to his unique status and had isolated him even more than if he'd simply attended via comlink.
'No, *definitely* not her,' Heero decided firmly. He scanned through the few other remaining possibilities slowly. 'Maybe the one from Vega 3... At least people from there are logical and efficient...' He found himself surprisingly reluctant to actually commit to the choice but these were the only candidates that had not opted out after meeting him. There were no more interviews currently scheduled and he was getting the distinct impression that there wouldn't be any forthcoming either. Central was starting to make vague comments about "alternative arrangements". Heero didn't think that he wanted to find out what those arrangements might be. He'd had enough of being a research experiment.
Heero's sensors had picked up someone approaching but he had only peripherally noted it. Technicians and other personnel passed in close range frequently; he'd learned to filter out the hundreds of minor alerts that they generated. So it was a surprise when the approaching individual stopped near his hull and called cheerfully, "XH? Hi! I'm Duo Maxwell; the WM seemed to think maybe we should meet... Or, well, Meilan did anyway... Umm, well, I was just walking back from visiting Meilan and Wufei so I thought I'd stop by..."
'The WM?' Heero wondered for an instant. Then as Duo continued, he realized, 'Oh, Meilan... the other late entry in my class...' Heir to the Long clan, Meilan had been injured in an attack on her colony by planet pirates. The pirates had been driven off successfully in time to save her life but she had been irreversibly paralysed. At age 14, Meilan had been quite old for admission to the shell program; her clan had pulled a lot of strings to even get the Lab School to consider her. Adapting to the shell had been extremely difficult for her. Almost as difficult as Heero's own adjustments had been.
Meilan was one of the few classmates that Heero had formed a tentative connection with - so tentative that he hesitated to call it a friendship but still more than he'd managed with anyone else. Perhaps he'd been able to relate to her because her situation had been almost as unique as his own. Meilan had been married - an arranged marriage for the benefit of both clans - before being injured and their clans had decreed that her husband would undergo training at the Academy and become her brawn, the mobile partner to her brain. Technically, she - like all brainships - was allowed to choose her brawn but the orders of her clan were quite clear. And since both clans had jointly contracted her services from Central almost the instant that she entered the program... Well, she and her husband would still be fulfilling their duty by serving their clans, albeit in a very different manner than originally intended.
At the same time as Heero was reviewing his knowledge of Meilan, he was uplinking to Central's databases and querying Duo Maxwell's records. 'Space Academy graduate... not at the very top of *all* his classes but never below the top 10% and he *was* at the top in some... Energetic, gregarious, outgoing, imaginative, creative...' The academic qualifications were certainly there. And the personality profile balanced out his own weaknesses quite nicely. Splitting his attention between the young man outside and the files he was consulting, Heero decided, 'Attractive... *Very* talkative, doesn't he ever *breathe*? But at least his voice is pleasant...' Minor details, really, but considering how long Exploration missions could run, even slight irritants could become critical. 'At least in theory, he looks like the best possibility yet. Time to find out whether reality matches up...' And whether he could manage to act human enough to avoid driving Maxwell away...
By the time that Duo finally ran out of breath, Heero had already completed his investigation and deliberations. Just in time, as Duo took a quick breath then said, "Okay, obviously you're either not interested or I picked a bad time. Sorry, I'll just..."
Hurriedly, Heero lowered the lift and opened its doors. Abruptly, he ordered, "Come aboard."
Caught off-guard, Duo gaped for a moment. He'd been ready to write this little visit off as a lost cause due to the complete lack of response. The sudden invitation - or maybe "order" would be more accurate - was unexpected to say the least. "Uh, sure. Okay. Thanks." Duo stepped into the lift a bit uncertainly. Meilan had warned him that Heero was short on social skills but he was starting to think that was a serious understatement...
TBC
*coughs* Well? Think this deserves further development? And does anyone recognize the book series that this is a fusion with?
Oh, and fair warning - it's a fusion with a series of sci-fi books by one of my favourite authors...
"XH One-Two-Two-One, your *next* brawn candidate is on her way."
Heero flinched mentally at the emphasis - he was all too aware that he'd already unsuccessfully interviewed a dozen candidates - but replied succinctly, "Acknowledged."
CenCom's irritation was clear in the tone of the communication. "Try not to scare this one off; word's getting around and we're running out of candidates willing to even interview with you." Central closed the link without allowing Heero a chance to respond. He didn't bother re-opening it; there was nothing relevant to add.
Brawns newly graduated from the Academy had certain expectations of brainships. Expectations based on the consistent program of education and conditioning that all shellpersons, including those destined to become brainships, were exposed to throughout childhood. Most shellpersons grew up in the Central Lab School's supportive environment, shelled from infancy due to physical conditions that would otherwise prevent them from leading any sort of existence outside of an institution. A few exceptional individuals were admitted to the program later in life after being physically incapacitated by some catastrophic event but even those cases were children or preteens who then finished growing up in the supportive environment of the shell program.
Heero had not grown up in the program. In fact, he had only spent a couple of years in the Lab School - and even that brief period had been non-standard due to the fact that his shell was already housed in a ship. His late entry and unusual circumstances had left him isolated even within the School. He had formed only tentative connections with a very few of his classmates.
Scholastically, Heero had excelled, graduating at the top of his class with special awards in more fields of study than any shellperson in the history of the program. Technologically, his ship - *he* - was years ahead of every other brainship in the Courier Service. He was faster, more manoeuvrable, more powerful.
But apparently, none of that made up for the fact that he had absolutely no socialization skills worth speaking of. Difficult as Heero found it to interact with other shellpersons, interacting with softpersons was even more difficult. J hadn't given him the opportunity *to* interact with anyone other than the scientist himself and a handful of lab assistants. He had only very vague, dreamlike memories of anyone else; frail ghosts of his life before becoming 'Subject 01'. His memories *after* that - both before and after being placed in the shell - were all-too-sharp and clear. Perfect recall was not necessarily the blessing some might consider it.
Heero automatically adjusted his nutrient feeds to correct the shift in body-chemistry caused by his current train of thought. Despite repeated admonitions from assorted Psychs over the past few years since his removal from J's custody, he continued to control his emotions - and his body's response to them - as tightly as J had trained him. The conditioning methods had been too effective to dismiss that easily; sensory deprivation was one of the worst fears of shellpersons.
'But since brainships are supposed to keep their emotions under reasonably good control and I could always leave social interactions up to my brawn, over-controlled emotions and nonexistent social skills weren't good enough reasons for the Psychs to ground me...' But if he couldn't find a brawn soon, that might change. Heero knew that there were researchers who would be quite happy to have him - or rather, his radically experimental shell and ship technology - turned over to them instead of flying free in space. If it weren't for the determined advocacy of SPRIM (Society for the Preservation of the Rights of Intelligent Minorities) and Double M (Mutant Minorities), he doubted that he would have stood the slightest chance of avoiding that fate in the first place. Continued inability to choose a compatible partner had a distressingly high chance of negatively impacting his current status.
With that thought in mind, Heero lowered his lift for the approaching candidate, determined to give Relena Peacecraft-Darlian a more-than-fair evaluation.
***
The sounds of laboured breathing and the clash of finely-forged steel blades filled the air. Duo grunted with effort as his sword met Wufei's yet again. Dark eyes sparkled with the thrill of a challenge and Duo grinned fiercely in return before agilely twisting away.
He and Wufei hadn't exactly started off as friends at the Space Academy. Orphan spacer-brats on scholarships and heirs to High Families didn't really have a whole lot in common. But Duo's hard work and dedication to his studies had earned Wufei's grudging respect. Wufei's sense of honour - the need to give credit where credit was due - had done the rest. A quiet congratulations on a test score led to a shared study session. Study sessions led to discussions of philosophy and politics and life in general. And discussions led to friendship. A friendship which had expanded to include Meilan, Wufei's wife.
The cabin lights dimmed and brightened. The duellists froze in place. In a faintly apologetic tone, Meilan announced, "Incoming secure call from Master O; I just received the five-minute warning."
Wufei sighed and lowered his sword. "That will be our orders." He brushed a loose bit of hair back from his face. "Sorry, Duo. I probably won't have anymore free time tonight and we'll be busy loading in the morning. Good match, though."
"Thanks. You too, Wufei." Duo handed his sword to Wufei and watched as Wufei carefully stowed them both in their case. "I know we'll stay in touch but I'm gonna miss the face-to-face contact."
"As will I." Wufei turned and clasped Duo's arm firmly for a moment, eyes meeting Duo's steadily. "Take care, my friend."
Duo decided that things were getting much too sombre. He hated goodbyes. Giving Wufei's arm a tug, he pulled him into an enthusiastic hug and tousled his hair, pulling it the rest of the way out of the ponytail.
"Maxwell!" Wufei automatically protested the hair-ruffling. He attempted to blow the long black strands away from his face while struggling to escape Duo's energetic hug.
Meilan's laughter rang out from the cabin speakers and Duo grinned in satisfaction. Ruffling Wufei's dignity had certain inevitable results. "Enough with the long faces. You'd better go get tidied up before talking to the bossman, buddy. Good luck with your assignment." He spun Wufei around and gave him a gentle but firm shove towards his quarters. "Talk to you soon."
Muttering dire threats under his breath regarding suitable retribution for such disrespectful behaviour, Wufei spared a moment to give Duo's long chestnut braid a tug of rebuke before stalking off in a show of righteous indignation. Duo grabbed his braid before more than the first couple of twists had a chance to unravel and held it tightly in one hand while digging through his pocket for a tie to replace the one Wufei had stolen. He always carried a few spares, especially when he was meeting with Wufei. This wasn't exactly the first time they'd messed up one another's hair.
"You had *better* stay in touch, Duo Maxwell!" Meilan scolded as Duo fixed his braid. "Don't make us have to come looking for you."
Duo swept a gracious bow in the direction of the central column housing Meilan's physical body. "I wouldn't dream of inconveniencing such a lovely lady. I'll give you my relay number just as soon as I get a ship assignment," he promised. '*If* I get one...' he added silently. There were more brawns than ships; not all graduates were fortunate enough to partner a brainship. He'd been passed over by several already. That wasn't unusual by any means and he really hadn't particularly clicked with any of them but still... It was discouraging to be turned down.
If he didn't get a ship, he might as well go back to the Sweepers. The loosely-knit group of merchants and scavengers would find a spot for him somewhere in the organization. He wouldn't have a ship of his own but at least he'd be in space. 'Better that than a job as a glorified file-clerk for Courier Services. The chances of getting a position as a brawn after being passed over aren't good enough to make staying planet-bound worthwhile...'
"Anything particularly promising?"
Duo grimaced and admitted, "Not really. I've still got a few interviews to go, though."
"Have you interviewed for the XH One-Two-Two-One yet?" Meilan asked abruptly.
"No," Duo shook his head. "And I'm not scheduled to. Psych didn't recommend it. Plus I figured they must have somebody handpicked for the XH - they're not likely to put all that experimental tech in the hands of just anyone, after all - and that the interviews were just a formality. Why else would almost all of the candidates have opted out after meeting him?"
Flatly, Meilan replied, "Because his social skills need serious work."
Duo snickered, then sobered instantly as Meilan rebuked, "That's not a joke, Maxwell. You know his story, or at least as much of it as everyone else does. He's a hard worker, incredibly intelligent, and about as personable as an AI. He comes across as almost inhuman most of the time. But when I was having such a rough time adjusting to being in a shell, he was willing to listen. He even told me a few things about his own problems adjusting, first to the shell then to life after being rescued from existence as that mad scientist's experiment. We weren't exactly *close* but we had more in common with each other than with any of the others in our class so we did spend a certain amount of time talking.
"He's a good person, Duo, not the cold machine that gossip claims. He just needs a brawn with a lot of patience and understanding to help him figure things out. Somebody who won't let a cold facade and an icy attitude scare him off. Somebody who won't judge him on a superficial impression."
The soft chime announcing the expected call prevented further discussion. Duo said a hasty goodbye and departed. Meilan's remarks were all that he thought about during his walk back across the shipyard. The "hint" had been very blatant. She obviously thought that he was the right brawn for the task. Psych evidently hadn't or Heero would have been one of the interviews automatically scheduled for him. Though considering that he'd been - less than impressed - by the possibilities that the shrinks *had* lined up for him...
Duo made a quick stop at the nearest terminal then headed back across the landing pad.
***
Heero reviewed the few remaining candidates' files grimly. He didn't care *how* compatible Psych thought that Peacecraft-Darlian girl was with him; there *had* to be a better option. 'Her voice *alone* would drive me insane. And as for her idea that I transfer from Archeology & Exploration to the Diplomatic division... I don't *think* so...'
Then of course there was also the girl's fixation on his cybernetic body. He'd flatly refused to use it to conduct the interview despite her coaxing and cajoling. She had apparently seen holos of the graduation ceremony and had gushed over his appearance, repeatedly begging to see "the real Heero".
As far as Heero was concerned, that body was *not* "the real him". After the graduation ceremony, he had stored it away in a cabin and he had no intention of getting it back out again. Despite the fact that most shellpersons had to save for years to afford a cybernetic body and would be thrilled to have one. His own was just another reminder of how different he was from the other newly-commissioned brainships. They were in debt to Central for their schooling, their shells, and their ships. He had already been part of his ship when he arrived for his schooling; J - or rather the corporation that had employed J - had originally paid for it and it had been awarded to Heero as part of the settlement. So instead, he was in debt for the body from Moto-Prosthetics that had allowed him to physically attend classes at the Lab School. It had been intended to allow him to interact with his classmates. Instead, it had only drawn attention to his unique status and had isolated him even more than if he'd simply attended via comlink.
'No, *definitely* not her,' Heero decided firmly. He scanned through the few other remaining possibilities slowly. 'Maybe the one from Vega 3... At least people from there are logical and efficient...' He found himself surprisingly reluctant to actually commit to the choice but these were the only candidates that had not opted out after meeting him. There were no more interviews currently scheduled and he was getting the distinct impression that there wouldn't be any forthcoming either. Central was starting to make vague comments about "alternative arrangements". Heero didn't think that he wanted to find out what those arrangements might be. He'd had enough of being a research experiment.
Heero's sensors had picked up someone approaching but he had only peripherally noted it. Technicians and other personnel passed in close range frequently; he'd learned to filter out the hundreds of minor alerts that they generated. So it was a surprise when the approaching individual stopped near his hull and called cheerfully, "XH? Hi! I'm Duo Maxwell; the WM seemed to think maybe we should meet... Or, well, Meilan did anyway... Umm, well, I was just walking back from visiting Meilan and Wufei so I thought I'd stop by..."
'The WM?' Heero wondered for an instant. Then as Duo continued, he realized, 'Oh, Meilan... the other late entry in my class...' Heir to the Long clan, Meilan had been injured in an attack on her colony by planet pirates. The pirates had been driven off successfully in time to save her life but she had been irreversibly paralysed. At age 14, Meilan had been quite old for admission to the shell program; her clan had pulled a lot of strings to even get the Lab School to consider her. Adapting to the shell had been extremely difficult for her. Almost as difficult as Heero's own adjustments had been.
Meilan was one of the few classmates that Heero had formed a tentative connection with - so tentative that he hesitated to call it a friendship but still more than he'd managed with anyone else. Perhaps he'd been able to relate to her because her situation had been almost as unique as his own. Meilan had been married - an arranged marriage for the benefit of both clans - before being injured and their clans had decreed that her husband would undergo training at the Academy and become her brawn, the mobile partner to her brain. Technically, she - like all brainships - was allowed to choose her brawn but the orders of her clan were quite clear. And since both clans had jointly contracted her services from Central almost the instant that she entered the program... Well, she and her husband would still be fulfilling their duty by serving their clans, albeit in a very different manner than originally intended.
At the same time as Heero was reviewing his knowledge of Meilan, he was uplinking to Central's databases and querying Duo Maxwell's records. 'Space Academy graduate... not at the very top of *all* his classes but never below the top 10% and he *was* at the top in some... Energetic, gregarious, outgoing, imaginative, creative...' The academic qualifications were certainly there. And the personality profile balanced out his own weaknesses quite nicely. Splitting his attention between the young man outside and the files he was consulting, Heero decided, 'Attractive... *Very* talkative, doesn't he ever *breathe*? But at least his voice is pleasant...' Minor details, really, but considering how long Exploration missions could run, even slight irritants could become critical. 'At least in theory, he looks like the best possibility yet. Time to find out whether reality matches up...' And whether he could manage to act human enough to avoid driving Maxwell away...
By the time that Duo finally ran out of breath, Heero had already completed his investigation and deliberations. Just in time, as Duo took a quick breath then said, "Okay, obviously you're either not interested or I picked a bad time. Sorry, I'll just..."
Hurriedly, Heero lowered the lift and opened its doors. Abruptly, he ordered, "Come aboard."
Caught off-guard, Duo gaped for a moment. He'd been ready to write this little visit off as a lost cause due to the complete lack of response. The sudden invitation - or maybe "order" would be more accurate - was unexpected to say the least. "Uh, sure. Okay. Thanks." Duo stepped into the lift a bit uncertainly. Meilan had warned him that Heero was short on social skills but he was starting to think that was a serious understatement...
TBC
*coughs* Well? Think this deserves further development? And does anyone recognize the book series that this is a fusion with?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-03-21 08:37 pm (UTC)*^____^* now that's an interesting fusion... I wonder how that will go. :p *pokes*
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 07:45 pm (UTC)Hell YEAH!
Date: 2004-03-21 11:45 pm (UTC)I'll admit that the "shell" thing sailed merrily over my head, but what I gathered is very original. ::grins::
You write such lovely GW cannon fics that every once in a while when you throw something like this out it makes me want to dive tackle you. Hell, why not?
::bowls you over with a flying glomp::
I'm glad you're back alive and feeling better, btw. ::rubrubpurr::
I'm sure I speak for a lot of people when I say that you were missed!
Re: Hell YEAH!
Date: 2004-03-22 08:01 pm (UTC)I'm definitely feeling better even if not quite 100% yet... Here's hoping that the muse keeps cooperating and I manage to keep the writing going...
LOL!
Date: 2004-03-21 11:48 pm (UTC)P.S. KAWAII LJ pic!
Re: LOL!
Date: 2004-03-22 08:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-21 11:50 pm (UTC)*hopes for more*
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 08:12 pm (UTC)And since this is one of the few things that's getting the creative juices flowing at the moment, I think it will be continuing. Not sure how long it will end up or even how long it will take to reach the 1x2 point though... Just that it definitely *will* get there eventually.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 01:03 am (UTC)Long-time reader, but I think this is my first time as a reviewer (*smacks self* Bad Tay! Bad!) and since I love my fantasy/sci-fi I figured I should check out the plot bunny. And I really like this. More? Please? *pets bunny* Very interesting so far, though I've no doubt I'll get confuzzled by all the futuristic terms ><
And yes, I'm with Kitana - love Heero's ship number ^^
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 08:17 pm (UTC)At this point, there's no real doubt in my mind that there *will* be more of this. The only question is how soon. All this setting-the-scene stuff takes a while. As does figuring out how much sci-fi terminology to toss in and how much explanation is required... *sigh*
Heero's ship number was pretty much impossible to resist... *grin*
I know! I know!
Date: 2004-03-22 01:05 am (UTC)This is a GREAT crossover! Hope you decide to add more - feed that plot bunny!
Re: I know! I know!
Date: 2004-03-22 08:22 pm (UTC)There's definitely going to be more. The plot bunny has been flourishing under all the attention it's been getting...
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 01:38 am (UTC)I think it definitely deserves further development, I'm looking forward to seeing more.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 08:26 pm (UTC)Heero's definitely *very* badly socialised in this one - and he knows it. Knowing it doesn't make it any easier to *fix* though...
There will be more - eventually - and hopefully not *too* far in the future...
Excellent!!
Date: 2004-03-22 04:52 am (UTC)Re: Excellent!!
Date: 2004-03-22 08:32 pm (UTC)Glad you enjoy my stories; I really try to keep the pilots sufficiently in character so that they don't end up basically being original characters with the names of the GW pilots rather than believable versions of the guys.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 05:00 am (UTC)I wait with baited breath.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-23 08:18 pm (UTC)I implore you to write more. If you don't, I shall be left with nought to do but scour the ether for brainships fic, and I expect the likelihood of good brainship fic is vanishingly small ;_;
Continue!!
Date: 2004-03-22 01:19 pm (UTC)Re: Continue!!
Date: 2004-03-22 08:40 pm (UTC)There will be more of this before too terribly long, I think... Otherwise, judging by the response to this little chunk, I'm going to be getting a lot of *pokes* from people!
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 03:40 pm (UTC)It's really uncanny... I haven't thought of those books in ages, and just the other night, something made them pop into my head. Must have been 'hearing' you working away! ^___^ This should be good! Excellent start, and I love the way you worked Heero's past into the picture. And I adore the idea of Wufei and Meilan as brain and brawn! ^__^
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 08:47 pm (UTC)Heero's past has been worked in and Duo's is going to make its way in here too - not *exactly* as it was in GW but, like the other three so far, it will have very similar elements. When I started writing, I had no plans whatsoever for Wufei and Meilan but by the time I finished Heero's first scene and started to fill in Duo's, I knew *exactly* how the two of them were going to fit into this. Other than Relena's brief mention, I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing with the other main GW characters though I do have a few ideas kicking around...
no subject
Date: 2004-03-23 09:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 04:13 pm (UTC)However, now I have an overwhelming urge to listen to "Cry for the Dream'.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 06:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-23 04:10 pm (UTC)The Lady is a one of the Grand Dames of the SF world and was nice enough to let others play in her Universe.
Also Helga's story is written a couple of decades before the rest of them.
Devilkitty
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 08:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-23 04:12 pm (UTC)I had read a lot of Stirling's SF and Fantasy before reading his contribution to her universe, so it wasn't that much of a shock to see all the violence, which really doesn't show up in the rest of the series.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 07:01 pm (UTC)Just wanted to say that it was great! Lovely work from you yet again, it definitely deserves further development. I'm a big fan of scifi and 1x2 so this is just my kind of read. More, more, more!
By the way, would it be alright to friend you?
no subject
Date: 2004-03-22 08:56 pm (UTC)Sure, go ahead and friend me, I don't mind...
no subject
Date: 2004-03-23 07:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-23 08:01 am (UTC)More? Please?
Though I confess I'm still hoping for Kindergarten Heero soon, but if this is what get's your creative juices flowing, what the heck. I'll read *anything* that you write that comes my way... and with pleasure.
encore! encore!
Date: 2004-03-25 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-05-03 03:30 pm (UTC)MOrgan